Who's ready for my announcement??!?!
I thought I would do something fun + template it like an interview. I mean, why not?
Who is Audra Thurman?
If I had a life mission, it would be this: Living a rescued and restored life + helping others walk in their beautiful, God-given purpose. I have always had a love for rescuing and repurposing items. Over the past 15 years, this hobby has quickly become a passion to help others transform not only their homes, but their mindsets too. I was drawn to the beauty of helping people articulate their vision in an environment that demanded creativity and resourcefulness, with an opportunity to find the beauty within them too. Seeing the lovely amidst the ugly is who I am.
What do you love to do?
I love to hunt + transform something ugly into something lovely. This translates to thrifting + transforming/styling those items into a beautifully curated space. This also applies with people’s hearts too. I love the hunt into someone’s heart to help them discover that there can be beauty in the ordinary + darkest moments of their lives.
What is the story of Yet Lovely?
Yet Lovely is more than design. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. Yet Lovely is a calling… a path that was chosenway back in 2008. And dare I say Yet Lovely was predestined for me before I was formed in the womb? Ok, I’ll dare. ;) Yet Lovely has always been a part of me, but it’s just now that I’m sharing it with others.
Why did you start your business?
Walking in my purpose has always consumed my heart + mind. Before audrathurman.com was birthed, I would dream + pray about what my purpose looked like + how design + purpose could go hand in hand. But ultimately it came down to one thing: I didn’t have the guts to take the risk. Even though I was unfulfilled working my 9-5 job + always feeling like I had more to give, I was too scared to leave my comfortableness for a life of faith. In June of 2018, things changed when I found myself in the middle of the darkest time of life: walking through the grief of my younger sister’s death. And that’s when everything changed. After several months, I realized that what used to be scary, wasn’t scary anymore. What used to appear hard, didn’t seem very hard. If I was surviving the long road of healing from my sister’s death, then maybe I could take the leap of faith + launch out on my own.
What makes you as a business owner different?
My love for design is just the tip of the iceberg of what I feel called to do. Sure, designing homes is absolutely fulfilling, but I want my clients to not only SEE their homes come together beautifully, I also want them to FEEL that sense of homewhen they’re in it. I love home. I love being home. I love using what I have to make spaces feel different. I love using organic elements (plants/flowers, wood, etc) to bring the outside in. It’s not enough to know in my mind that my home is designed well. I want to feel it in the depths of my being. I want that for others too. I want others to experience peace + safety + be proud that their homes reflect who they are to their core.
How does Yet Lovely do that?
Launching out full-time as a designer was the first steppingstone that kicked me out of my comfortable box. I knew as soon as I launched (back in 2018) that the goal wasn’t to build an interior design studio. I’m a firm believer of joining in with where God is moving + that it is an invitation to join in with Him. But I knew in the depths of my heart that there was more. With my experience with non-profit boards, I also saw opportunities where God was moving in that realm. So, I joined in by partnering with local NP’s to bring design to families in need. During COVID, the year was pretty quiet, butit was definitely a welcomed breath of air, not only because it caused me to gain a fresh perspective on what I was doing but also to be close to my Dad as his life was ending. And so, in January of 2021, I found myself at a crossroads, answering this question: Who is Audra + what does her business look like? I am thankful that the (very near) past disappointments are creating appointments where I can provide the most genuine experience + service to others.
What does the future look like for Yet Lovely?
Oh man. There’s so much. The sky really is the limit for what’s to come. You can look at Yet Lovely as an umbrella for design packages, blogs, workshops, retreats, conferences, books + products. Yet Lovely exists to help others discover the lovely using all of those tools. Design packages + blogs are active now + we will build upon that foundation through the year.
Can't wait to share more as this unfolds!
Love, Audra